Updated October 07, 2024: We are now accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. This process will remain open until 11/15/2024 at 11:59 PM (CST).
The Wausau Police Department strives for excellence in policing by constantly looking at ways we can adapt and do new things. We adopt new technology, new equipment and new training and consistently invest in our team to provide the best service we can to our community. Our team consists of 81 sworn staff, in addition to numerous other support staff. You will serve a community which is incredibly supportive and provides our team with the technology, tools and benefits we need to succeed.
The Wausau Metropolitan Area is an outstanding community to live in and serve in. Look below for more information about what we can offer you!
$29.86 - $38.81* (current salary through 12/31/2024)
New contract for 2025 with updated salary and benefits expected to be adopted soon.
We've all seen some outlandish pay scales out there on social media which seem too good to be true. Often times they are, when you start to consider the cost of living in some of those communities. The Wausau Metro area has an incredible cost-of-living. Learn more in our "Why Wausau" tab.
Lateral Transfers join pay scale / vacation accrual at accelerated point. Learn more in "Lateral Transfer" tab below.
Annual Uniform Allowance ($600 paid direct to employee)
Annual Range Payment (1% of annual wage: appx $612 - $784)
Vacation Hours: 120-180/year based on years of service
Paid Out Holidays: 10 Days/year
Personal Holidays: 2 Days/year
Perfect Attendance: 2 Days/year
Longevity Pay (increases every 5 years)
Increased Pay for instructors, special teams, FTO, etc.
*$26.59/hourly rate for cadets who are being paid to attend WI Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Your pay increases to normal wage schedule upon completion or if you've already attended academy. Above does not reflect Detective Wage.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
United States Citizenship
Minimum age 21 by date of appointment
High School Diploma or equivalent
College Credits Requirement:
Minimum of 40 credits from an accredited university, college, or technical school if candidate has not graduated from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Academy.
Minimum of 60 credits from an accredited university, college, or technical school if candidate has graduated from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Academy.
Ability to obtain and possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of Wisconsin
Have no criminal convictions which would limit the ability to possess a firearm
Why Wausau?
What The Wausau Metro has to Offer
The Wausau Metropolitan Area has everything you are looking for in a place to live. From downtown urban living, suburban neighborhoods or rural land... you can find it here!
Outdoors / Recreation
The widest variety of outdoor activities in Wisconsin. From one of the largest ski areas in the midwest, a nationally recognized kayak course, mountain biking trails, fishing and boating on our lakes and rivers. Whatever you like to do, you can find it here.
We have local sports teams to include Northwoods League Wausau Woodchucks baseball and Wausau Cyclones Hockey.
Entertainment
You can find a wide variety of entertainment here in Wausau. The Grand Theater offers concerts, broadway theater and more year-round. The 400 Block draws in outdoor concerts all summer long.
Education
We have tremendous local public & private schools. Within our region you can find small and large school districts, as well as private schools as well. Our largest local schools are Wausau and DC Everest. We also have several local colleges to include University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point at Wausau, Northcentral Technical College and Rasmussen University
Location
Wausau is central to our state making it easy to get anywhere quickly. We are the doorstep to the beautiful Wisconsin Northwoods, a short drive to a Packers game in Green Bay and just a few hours from the Twin Cities, Madison & Milwaukee.
Learn more about what our community has to offer you here:
Are you an experienced officer who is looking for a change? We offer a lateral entry program to make sure you don't feel like you're starting over.
Full year-for-year salary credit for past full-time law enforcement years of service. That means if you have 4 years full-time experience elsewhere, you will start at top pay here at Wausau PD.
Full year-for year vacation credit for past full-time law enforcement years of service (up to 6 years and thereafter advance accordingly)
If you are currently a law enforcement officer from another state and have not been certified yet in the State of Wisconsin, you may be eligible for the reciprocity examination. Learn more about the reciprocity process.
Hiring Process
Officer Hiring Process
Some of the below steps are combined, however we wanted to explain each one.
Application Review
Complete the application online. That will be reviewed to make sure you meet minimum qualifications.
Oral Interview
We will invite qualified applicants to participate in two interviews. The intial interview is with a few of our Field Training Officers followed by a brief interview with our command staff. We may accomodate virtual interviews for applicants who live out of state.
Personal History Packet (Background)
After interviews, a group of applicants will be sent forward for background investigations. A background investigator will have you complete a background packet to assist us in that review.
Oral Interview Candidates chosen to continue past the background investigation will have a final interview with our command staff.
Polygraph Examination The last internal step of our process is a polygraph exam which is conducted by one of our Detectives here at the police department. You may be reading this and thinking WHOA! But we want to assure you the exam is very simple, in a comfortable setting and only serves to confirm information you already provided as part of the background investigation. There are no surprises!
Oral Interview (Police & Fire Commission)
Candidates who pass the above will be presented to the Police & Fire Commission for a final interview. The Police & Fire Commission is a civilian-board who oversees all hiring, firing and promotions within the city police and fire departments.
Physical Examination with Drug/Alcohol Screening If you reached this point, congratulations! You have received a conditional offer of employment from the city. You will be asked to complete a medical physical conducted at a local business as well as a psychological review. We no longer complete physical agility tests.
The steps are explained in more detail in the video and obviously if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out and we'll explain more about it.
30x30 Campaign
Starting in 2023, we chose to embrace the mindset of the 30x30 campaign. Our desire is that 30% of our staff will consist of women by the year 2030. Everyone brings different perspectives to this job, regardless of who they are. But we know the perspective of a woman in our profession is crucial to helping us achieve our mission.
This doesn't change how we hire. We remain committed to hiring for character above all else. This mindset is solely meant to drive our recruitment practices to make sure we are seeking out, and finding, female applicants. Additionally, internally ensuring we are keeping Wausau PD a place where women want to serve!
When you come to Wausau PD, know we will absolutely be investing in you and your future. You may start in patrol, but you will quickly find there are many opportunities available to you. From learning through specialized trainings, joining special teams, promotional opportunities, department committees and more!
Here are some of the specialized teams you may serve on!
We are focused on the character that makes a person a good police officer, and less about their appearance.
- Tattoos: visible tattoos are permitted as long as they are non-offensive in nature.
- Beards: beards, mustaches and sideburns are allowed when maintained in a clean manner, presenting with a groomed appearance.
Residency
Residency Requirement
Unlike many communities, here at Wausau PD you have the opportunity to live in a huge region. Our residency is 30-miles from the boundaries of our city, which covers all of Marathon County and more. That is an area larger than the State of Rhode Island.
So whether you like living in an urban city environment, suburban neighborhoods, lake side home, a cabin in the woods or a large farm, you can find it here in Marathon County . You have until 6 months after your probationary period to establish residency, which is approximately 18 months after your hire date.
The Wausau Metropolitan Area is full of various communities you can call home and has an outstanding cost-of-living.
Wellness Initiatives
Taking Care of Yourself
One of the most important things to our department is taking care of the wellness of our officers and staff; this includes mental and physical. That is why we make these a priority through initiatives, programs and services.
PHYSICAL WELLNESS
We have both a strength training and fitness training room which offer many pieces of equipment which are available to our staff for free.
We contract with Advanced Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine who have office hours here at the police department to provide physical therapy, athletic training and strength & conditioning services to our staff for FREE.
We contract with Hakes Wellness Solutions to provide mental health wellness visits (online & in person). We also have a Peer Support team composed of officers here at Wausau PD who have training and experiences to help our staff through critical incidents and conduct Critical Incident Debriefs after traumatic events.
SOCIAL WELLNESS
Serving as a police officer is a very serious job full of very serious moments. However we firmly believe you can have fun in this career! That's why we have a department social wellness committee, a team focused on making sure not only our staff enjoy working here but their families enjoy it to. We sponsor free events for our staff and their families like baseball games, family picnics, football watch parties and holiday themed events. It's important we not only support out staff, but support the people who support them! All courtesy of donations from sponsors, showing how much our community cares about their police.
There is also a local organization called the Blue Hearts, which helps support our local first responder families and holds events, to include an annual first responder family night. Learn more about them: Click Here
Schedule A Ride-Along
Whether you're interested in learning more about a potential career in law enforcement, or an existing officer who wants to learn more about the Wausau PD team, we encourage you to schedule a ride-along with us. It will give you an opportunity to learn more about our team, what we have to offer you, and what Wausau has to offer as a home.
To schedule a ride-along, e-mail Lt. Nate Stetzer to make arrangements.
